Confessions of an Ad Man

I remember when AOL first came out. I was fortunate enough to have a high-ranking friend at a big-time agency plug me into one of AOL's first free beta accounts. AOL didn't wise up to me for the better part of three years. And, while other people were picking up CDs at gas stations with 1000 free minutes of AOL, I was living the free life, combing chat rooms, posting comments and "getting mail" at all hours of the day (and night).
Then, AOL caught on and pulled the plug. I joined the paying ranks and continued my bad habits. Until somewhere along the way, I dropped out and allowed the next wave to wash in unattended.
Social media has come a long way since then. And since then, I admit, I have been oh-so-very reluctant to rejoin the ranks. I guess it was when my sons started IM-ing their friends and texting incessantly at the dinner table. I suddenly pegged social media as some teeny-bopper sinkhole, not worth mine or my client's time.
Peers created pressure, however, and now I have a Facebook page. And a LinkedIn account. I tweet. I blog. I attend social media seminars. I sit in client meetings fielding questions about social media to which I often cannot provide any reasonable answers. I must confess. I am behind the curve.
Yet, I am trying. Thanks to websites such as mashable, comscore and quantcast, I am catching on. Little by little. Bit by bit. I learn a little more each day. And, with every new revelation, I must be progressing (or digressing, as the case may be.) Look for me on wefollow.com. I'm in there. Somewhere.

My "Tony The Tiger" Cup

Every year, I look forward to getting the final edition of "Advertising Age," so I can review the year's milestones and ponder our collective futures. This year being 2010, "Advertising Age" listed the 10 best ideas of the decade, including one interesting item called "branded utility." This idea cropped up somewhere around the middle of the decade, when interactive wunderkids were dreaming up new widgets and bots and gadgets for online use. The new online utilities found their ways into advertisers' hands and -- viola! -- branded utilities were born. One U.K. bank offered a widget that fed bank customers pop-up stock quotes four times a day on any designated personal computer. Nike came out with a widget that helped runners track mileage using a hand-held iPod. The other day, I heard GEICO offering a "glove box" iPhone app for roadside assistance. In my opinion, the idea of a branded utility is not so revolutionary as many people think. I remember when I was a kid, having a "Tony the Tiger" plate, cup and silverware set, making my breakfast times enjoyable and anticipated events. I remember using that set so regularly, the paint washed off the cup, leaving Tony stripe-less after several months of trips through the dishwasher. The utilities may have changed, but the idea hasn't. Branded utilities are not only a great way to get consumers interacting with your brand, they often extend the brand value, moving prospects into the customer fold, and customers into the loyal advocates fold. I would agree that Hyundai's consumer Assurance program is one such example, offering car buyers the ability to return their cars without credit damage in case of losing a job (quite a value proposition, if not an online application). Hyunda no doubt moved more than a few fence-sitters into the market with that one. And, consider Bud Light's crazy "Tailgate" approved spoof series (3-in-1 condiment gun; speaker box 12 pack; etc.). With a little in-depth research and clever thinking, there could there be a utility locked inside your company brand. Let's think about it together. Call me at 214-750-6601. We might come up with something G-r-r-r-reat!